I seriously am starting to fear for the future of this country. Whatever happened to common sense? Human being seem to have lost all sense of logical thought and the downfall of humanity is sure to follow. We have manufactures putting labels on coolers that tell parents not to put babies in them. Someone gets burned by hot coffee from a fast food restaurant and sues the place because the coffee was actually HOT. Yesterday's discussion on Facebook about the clean eating diet has convinced me that humans are not going to survive another century.
Whatever Happened to Common Sense?
I try hard not to get in arguments with people on Facebook but sometimes I see something that just requires a bit of logic thought. I am polite about it. There is no swearing and name calling involved. … [Read more...]

This morning I started to get ready to go to the gym and I threw out my back putting on my pants. Yes, I managed to hurt myself without doing anything more strenuous than lifting a leg and I have decided that getting old sucks. Once upon a time, I hiked 7 miles up into the White Mountains with a full weekend worth of gear on my back without injury. Now I succumb to injury just trying to get dressed in the morning. Oh how far I have fallen since my college days. I may not be quite as agile as I once was but I think my 40's have brought me a whole lot more wisdom than I had when I was in my 20's. Want to know what else I learned last year? Here are just a few life lessons I have finally figured out
Getting Old Sucks and Other Lessons I Learned Last Year
Perfection only … [Read more...]

Our kitchen table is starting to show it's age. The grout between the tiles is getting dirty and harder to keep clean. There are paint stains from art projects gone wrong and initials carved into it from a small boy who knew better but couldn't help himself. It isn't quite big enough for us any more and on more than one occasion the teenagers fight over leg space. I stare at that kitchen table some days and think that we desperately need to replace. And then the emotional roller coaster hits and I can't bear to part with such a sentimental object. Yes, I am getting weepy over a table.
The kitchen table was always a place for asking questions, and not always appropriate ones. One morning, over a bowl of Cheerios, my son asked me about transvestites. He was 8. Where he even … [Read more...]

I was at the meditation center with my 14 year old daughter last week and we were looking at a bulletin board for upcoming meetings. We saw a flyer advertising an LGBTQA meeting taking place the next week. My daughter told me that it should really read LGBTQA+. The PLUS was for people who didn’t fit into any of the other categories. I stopped to ponder her comment for a bit and had to ask myself “How many categories do we need?” when it comes to identifying a person's gender or sexual orientation?
When a child is born, we immediately put a label on it. If that a child has a penis, it’s a boy. If the child has a vagina, it's labeled a girl. As the child starts to grow up, we give it more labels. Our new baby may be friendly or happy. In a few years, we label our toddlers … [Read more...]

There are a lot of opinionated people in this world. To find them, all you have to do is scroll through Facebook for a few minutes. People on Facebook have opinions on all sorts of things and they are more than willing to share them with you. Whether you want those opinions or not. See a good recipe? Bet there are people who think it looks disgusting. Come across a news report of a child who was abducted? I'm sure at least one person accused the parent of neglecting the child which thus resulted in the child being stolen. Love that Target is taking away 'boy' and 'girl' labels off it's toy section? Boy are there a LOT of people who hate that decision. And they will let their voices be heard.
We judge people and situations all the time. We think THAT mom is a slacker … [Read more...]

Before I start what is probably going to be a very unpopular post, let me just make one point. I understand that there are a few kids 'on the spectrum' or who have 'texture issues' that really do have medical reasons for being a picky eater. However, America has significantly more picky eaters than any other country. Medical reasons for being a picky eater would be much more evenly distributed between different countries if this was strictly due to sensory processing issues. Most picky eaters are MADE, not BORN.
The Politically Incorrect Way to Deal with Your Picky Eater
Let me tell you a little story about my own picky eater and see if you can relate. At the age of 2 my son was only eating breakfast and lunch. Those were foods he liked...scrambled eggs, fruit, sandwiches, … [Read more...]

Last weekend, my 15 year old son was confirmed into the Lutheran church. After 4 years of confirmation classes, he was thrilled to finally be able to stand up in front of the congregation and make a commitment to God and the church. Really, he was most thrilled that he no longer had to attend confirmation classes. We aren't the most 'devout' Christians but this was something I really and truly wanted for him and thankfully he felt the same way. Others in his confirmation class chose NOT to get confirmed...and those particular teens have parents who are WAY more faithful followers than I am. Their parents were truly heartbroken over their children's decision to not join the church. It got me to thinking about the divide between what we teach our children and what they choose to … [Read more...]

I've been married for a lot of years. So many years that I admit that I frequently forget exactly how many. I often have to look at the embroidered wall sign my sister made for us to remember the exact date we tied the knot. We've been married long enough that taking out the trash is a romantic gesture and I am perfectly happy to get appliances for Christmas. Nothing says true love like a toaster oven, right?
I have learned, over the years, that marriage is a shit ton of work. If you think marriage is hearts and flowers and batting your eyelashes at each other and waking up to phenomenal morning sex you are either delusional or still on your honeymoon. A successful marriage requires you to work your ass off on so many levels it is like an Olympic sport. So, when I see things … [Read more...]

I like to think I lead a pretty average life. I guess that sounds relatively boring but I'm not a fan of drama and chaos so it works for me. I work, cook, deal with teenagers, yell at the dog to stop barking (because that works, right?) and try to keep the house clean enough that I don't trip and break an ankle when I get up in the middle of the night to pee. I do that a lot now that I've hit middle age. I've decided as I browse through my Pinterest feed that Pinterest thinks I have way more free time than I actually do. I wish I had enough time to do the shit that keeps popping up in my feed just so that I could say my life was full of excitement. Or at least full of something other than stained shirts and dog vomit.
I could spend hours gluing tiny Legos to a pair of high heels … [Read more...]

The last month or so has been an emotional roller coaster than I am more than ready to get off of. Seems like middle aged metabolism has been joined by premenopausal hormones and resulted in one seriously off kilter mom. I seem to spend more time crying than I do eating lately. Thanks to that little molecule called estrogen I still end up packing on the pounds and making my way through a box of tissues at an alarming rate. I cry over Publix commercials. I cry because my children are teenagers and no longer believe in Santa. I cry because there is dust on my desk and I have yet to find time to clean it. Yes, I have cried over dust. Someone please tell me that this hormonal maelstrom will die down soon!
I have always been a bit more emotional over the holidays. I extend myself too … [Read more...]